The Passion to Build Things – by Heidi Hefferlin

My family’s background is a mixture of American and Swiss. My father’s family is Swiss and German and includes: Bankers, Importers, Entrepreneurs and Ministers. My mother’s family are Dutch Mennonite farmers who immigrated to California and became peach and Almond farmers in the central valley. My parents moved to Tennessee just before I was born. My fathers was a physicist and taught for 34 years. My mom was a home economics graduate, raised four girls and worked as a church secretary and later at a credit union.

My parents traveled widely for my father’s work and lived in the Soviet Union for several years. I was fortunate to travel far and wide with them. My mom is very resourceful she grew much of our food, made our clothes and home schooled us in our first few years.

When I was eleven, I traveled to Switzerland to visit my grandmother. On the first day of the trip we visited her sister in Zurich who lived in a house that her husband had designed. The house had lots of balcony’s and an indoor bird aviary. Some of the garden walls were covered in tile mosaics also designed by the architect. Later we visited a modern house in the neighborhood that he had designed that was considered very Avant Garde at the time. (I have supporting images of this house) It was unlike anything I had ever had seen. Before leaving Zurich we ate at a Movenpick Restaurant and I was told my uncle designed it as well. In addition to visiting the buildings, I was taken to the archives to see his drawings. I looked through his plans which were meticulously detailed.

My relatives could see how interested I was and they took me to the Architecture school in Zurich where many projects complete with models and drawings were on display. That trip planted the seed for my pursuit of Architecture. I developed a deep appreciation for the way Europeans live a life connected to their gardens and to the outdoors. This trip in combination with building projects at an early age (building barns and rabbit cages for my pets) gave me the desire to build…..Architecture was the way to continue my passion, despite its many challenges.

First, the education is demanding and the studio classes are brutal. Historically, architecture school is a test of endurance and a place where tremendous effort goes into developing and representing concepts. My colleagues and I often worked through the night to prepare our presentations. It’s seen as a test of commitment. You got through it by dedication, coffee and developing a group of students you work with and who support each other.

Second, succeeding in a male dominated field is a challenge. Although 50% of today’s architecture students are women, only 19% of licensed architects are women. Succeeding in the profession means overcoming sexism in the business world and on the job site. Breaking the code of the old boy’s network is tough. It takes time and dedication. Because the difficulty in climbing the ladder and the lack of flexibility in the workplace for child rearing, many women are chased out of the profession.

To overcome these issues, I worked construction to get firsthand knowledge of the trades. I did roofing, carpentry, fork lift driving, and solar panel assembly. I did this to gain the respect of the contractors and the best knowledge for my designs. Eventually, I left the corporate world and went to work for myself for the flexibility, the ability to be close to my children while working and to break the glass ceiling. If you are the boss, then no one limits your success except yourself.

The most fulfilling part of my work is the building process. In architecture, there are many avenues you can pursue including theory, academia, corporate architecture, and small practice. Having worked in several of these areas, I enjoy the small practice and actual building of the buildings. The drawings and models help refine the ideas, but when the walls and roof take shape, when you see the buildings taking shape and people inhabiting them – that is my favorite part along with experimenting with ideas, designs, and building pieces with my own hands. Not surprisingly, our HK mission statement reads, “we are founded on the principal that we can improve the lives of those we serve through outstanding design”.

In the next decade, buildings will not only environmentally sustainable, but also adapt to their environment and positively give back. They will generate electricity, rotate to follow the sun, filter and store water. Architecture marries art and science in a wonderful career. The variety and depth of the experience is only limited by your desire to pursue the process.

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Heidi Hefferlin, Architect and President of Hefferlin + Kronenberg Architects, PLLC

Women GroundBreakers 2015 Storyteller

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